Want to Grab Execs’ Attention? Solve Costly System-wide Problems

Wouldn't it be nice if your leaders would more overtly and/or actively support corrective action and root cause analysis to help you get everyone on board?
Do you write it off as impossible because there's too much competition for their time, and they're already stretched too thin?
Is there any way to spark their interest?

One thing is for certain, you must compete for executives' attention. A compelling case that stands out from the many other initiatives is necessary.

Executives often don't pay attention to root cause analysis programs. Why? It's not because they don't care. Rather, they don't understand the lost value that an effective RCA program could easily scoop up. Leaders these days are simply swamped with significant problems and little time is available for them to dig in and understand what is going on, or at least that is the perception.

The reality is that if they can invest one or two hours of time and help you solve just one system-wide problem, they can not only endorse your efforts, they can help save significant money and demonstrate a proactive change that will improve the work processes or system. You need to set the stage before this can happen. So, where do you begin?

First, let's understand the systemic causes that enable system-wide problems. Systemic problems are pervasive throughout all work processes in the entire organization, including reliability, manufacturing, EH&S and supply chain. Systemic problems have considerable negative impact on overall performance and competitiveness - they generate many of the causes (problems) you have been working hard to eliminate. Left unchecked, systemic problems will always generate new problems.

The first step to identifying systemic causes is to build a library of thorough and sound RCA reports.
After you have some RCAs to draw from, create a new file with a higher level starting point than most RCAs. For example: "20% more quality defects than desired," "exceeding recordable injury goal," "10% over budget," "Excessive customer complaints." Import in all existing RCAs related to, or that contribute to the new RCA.
Organize this new, larger chart and look for common causes. Pareto the top three common causes...they will be there.
When you communicate to executives that you've uncovered common causes in multiple reports, you can estimate what the resulting, aggregate problems are costing...AND the potential risks this presents for the future. NOW you'll have executives' attention.
This is an opportunity to solicit executive input. Engage them to discuss the common causes. Take each of the three common causes and ask "why". This will start to drive toward systemic causes that are causing problems all over the organization. I think you'll find that not only will the leaders enjoy utilizing their previous functional backgrounds (which often feel underutilized once they get to management), you'll benefit from their big-picture view of how the company's many functions and systems interact. They'll probably find it fun, and feel it's a valuable use of their time because of the potential ROI. This is a way to get them to show their support for your RCA efforts and program....they will talk/boast to other leaders about the systemic problems being eliminated in their area because you, indirectly, caused them to take ownership of the RCA results.
Together you'll pinpoint what solution(s) can be implemented, AND how much will be saved after the common cause is eliminated.

Question: How have you successfully eliminated systemic causes?

Question: What kind of ROI have you helped your organization to achieve?

Question: How have you involved executives? Suppliers? Customers? And how has that impacted leadership support of your program?

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Posted 11 December 2009 by Chris Eckert, Apollo President

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